BHOC: SUPERMAN #218

This issue of SUPERMAN was another book that I got from my friend David Steckel, who had nothing but scorn for DC's output. I, on the other hand, was a stalwart fan of the Man of Steel. Except that there was something a little bit weird about this issue of SUPERMAN as opposed to all … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN #218

WC: ACTION COMICS #324

There's something that I don't really like about this ACTION COMICS cover. I'm not sure what it is--it's a nice piece done by the usually-winning combination of Curt Swan and George Klein. Possibly it's the light green background that puts me off here, I don't know. But the fact remains, I don't find this cover … Continue reading WC: ACTION COMICS #324

BHOC: SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE #104

Now this comic book I know was given to me by my friend David Steckel. As I've mentioned before, David was a thorough Marvel Zombie (before that term came into widespread use) and he found all DC comics to be juvenile kiddy stuff--which, in al honesty, they largely were. So he had less than no … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE #104

BHOC: DEVIL DINOSAUR #1

I'm not 100% certain after all this time where I got this issue of DEVIL DINOSAUR #1 from. I think it was probably another cast-off of David Steckel's that he didn't want and so gave to me. But I also have a similar vibe concerning my other comic book reading friend of the period, Don … Continue reading BHOC: DEVIL DINOSAUR #1

WC: STRANGE TALES #124

As we've spoken about before, STRANGE TALES had become something of an afterthought in the Marvel line, a title where new prospective writers and artists could be tried out with limited risk. But after 22 issues of this, sales on the book seem to have slid enough for editor Stan Lee to look to make … Continue reading WC: STRANGE TALES #124

BHOC: DC SPECIAL #15

I mentioned meeting my buddy David Steckel in gifted class a couple weeks ago. David was, like myself, an avid comic book reader. But he only liked Marvel comic, and turned up his nose at anything from DC or other companies, which he felt were too childish and stupid. Accordingly, every once in a while … Continue reading BHOC: DC SPECIAL #15

BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #193

I had skipped buying SUPERMAN FAMILY #192 the previous month, for reasons that I'm not quite certain of apart from just a general dissatisfaction with the title. That was the problem with DC's Dollar Comics anthologies, they were wildly inconsistent. While any given issue probably had something in it that you thought was pretty great, … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #193

BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #162

It was at around this time that JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA had begun to feel tired to me. It had once been a favorite series, but in recent months, coupled with a growing interest in the Marvel style of storytelling, the venerable JLA had seemingly been slowing down, becoming a bit trite and simplistic and, … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #162

BHOC: THOR #279

Boy, it's hard to believe that the scantily-clad woman strung up on the center of this THOR cover will one day wield the hammer herself and become the title character. But such are the ways of time and comic books. And female imperilment was a leaned-upon trope in the 1970s when it came to selling … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #279

BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #81

I had been waiting for this issue of MARVEL'S GREATEST COMICS for a good long while. Having the Olshevsky OFFICIAL MARVEL INDEX TO THE FANTASTIC FOUR, I knew that this next book would be reprinting FANTASTIC FOUR #100. And that was of special interest to me for one reason: due to nothing more than it … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #81